MARY CATHERINE HARTNETT

1869-1950

My Internet friened, Jerry Kelly sent me this email about the derivation of the name HARTNETT:

Hartnett and its variants are reported by MacLysaght as ÓhAirtnéada. They have not budged from their original territory.The name is really old so its meaning isn’t entirely clear. Woulfe is sure that the néad part means ‘battle’, apparently related to the ancient Irish god Nét / Néid summarized by some as a war-god. Airt is ‘of Art’ which could be ‘of bear’ or according to Woulfe ‘of stone’. So he translates Artnéad as meaning either ‘battle-bear’ or ‘battle-stone.’ Either way, a very ancient warrior name with pagan associations. I can’t find any mention of the family in the genealogies (Mac Fhirbhisigh, Ballymote, Rawlinson B.502, etc.)

WEDDING OF ANNE THERESA DORGAN & JOHN HENRY MAGUIRE, JR., JUNE 26, 1913, PROVIDENCE, RI. PATRICK J. DORGAN IS FOURTH FROM LEFT AND MARY CATHERINE HARTNETT IS IN FRONT OF HIM. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN PHOTO OF THEM.

STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT: Unknown brother of John Henry Maguire, Jr.; John H. Maguire (Groom); Catherine Hartnett (Maid of Honor and cousin of Anne Theresa Dorgan; Ben Rogers (Best Man); Sarah McSoley-Maguire (Mother of the Groom); Michael Dorgan (Brother of the Bride); Catherine Josephine King (Wife of Michael Dorgan); Unknown brother of John Henry Maguire, Jr.; Mary Catherine Hartnett (Mother of the Bride); Patrick J. Dorgan (Father of the Bride); Unknown brother of John Henry Maguire, Jr.; Unknown brother of John Henry Maguire, Jr.; “Big” John Henry Maguire, Sr. (Father of the Groom and Harbormaster of the Port of Providence, Rhode Island). SITTING LEFT TO RIGHT: Margaret Maguire-McElroy (Sister of the Groom); Mary Dorgan-Moriarty (Sister of the Bride); Helen Maguire-Conroy (Sister of the Groom).

THE HARTNETTS OF EAST COUNTY CORK

The earliest Hartnett I can verify in the extant records is Denis HARTNETT, the grandfather of Mary Catherine Hartnett.

There are two previous generation Hartnetts listed in the 1766 Census of Cloyne. There is Thomas “HARNETT” who lived outside the town of Cloyne and a Thomas Hartnett who lived in the town of Cloyne. Their religion is noted as “Papist”. One of these could have been the father of Denis Hartnett.

Denis Hartnett settled in and most likely came from Kilmahon, Ballybraher, County Cork, Ireland. He was a farmer who had 20 acres, 7 perches and 2 acres, 3 roods, 36 perches.

Family lore states that the Hartnett’s may have been originally from Monagurra, Shanagarry, East Cork.

James Hartnett settled in Kilmahon, Ballylongane, County Cork, Ireland. Ballylongane is between Shanagarry and Garryvoe. He was a farmer who had 24 acres, 3 roods, 9 perches and 2 acres, 1 rood, 11 perches.

Patrick Hartnett settled in Kilmahon, Monagurra. Monagurra is an adjoining townland to Ballybraher. He was a farmer who had Herd’s house and 15 acres, 4 perches, and 42 acres, 17 perches. The reference to “Herd’s house” is unknown, perhaps a previous tenant.

According to Griffith’s Valuation of 1851-1853, there were many other HARTNETTs listed in the Parishes surrounding Ballycotton, but there is only one listed in Garryvoe: JOHN HARTNETT, Garryvoe location, Garryvoe Lower. He is the father of Mary Hartnett, the wife of Patrick J. Dorgan. He owned 19 acres, 26 perches and 1 acre, 2 roods, 30 perches.

John Hartnett is listed as the father of Mary Catherine Hartnett on her death certificate.

The 1830 Kilmahon Tithe Applotment lists three Hartnetts: Daniel of Ballinamona, Martin of Ardnahinch and Maurice of Monagurra.

There are no HARTNETTs listed in Ballybraher or Carrigkilter. There is a John Hartnett listed in Ballycotton and several Hartnett’s in or around Ballyandreen.

The HARTNETTs are most likely buried in the Mogeely Cemetery.

This is a listing of all HARTNETTs in County Cork during the 1853 Griffith’s Valuation, courtesy of Bill Hartnett of Arizona:

Mary Catherine Hartnett was the daughter of John Hartnett and Mary Duhig. The Hartnett’s were originally from the townland of Monagurra, Shanagarry but farmed in Garryvoe. The father of John Hartnett was Denis Hartnett, born about 1800 in Kilmahon Parish, Shanagarry. He had two other sons: James and Patrick. James lived in Kilmahon, Ballylongane and Patrick lived in Kilmahon, Monagurra.

James married Mary Coleman of Maytown, Civil Parish of Ballintemple, East County Cork. Mary Coleman had a sister named Johannah Coleman, who is the grandmother of Mrs. Jo Cashman, the woman with whom I have been corresponding. James Hartnett and Mary Coleman had a son, Maurice and two daughters, Hannah and Minnie. There may have been others, but they are unknown. James, according to Johanna Cashman, was know as “The Boss Hartnett”!

The Duhig’s (Duffy in English) were from Ballyandreen. Nothing more is known of them at this time, but the family is still represented in the townland of Ballymacoda.

Mary Catherine Hartnett was born May 16, 1869 in Garryvoe, Civil Parish of Garryvoe, East County Cork, Ireland, and died November 23, 1950 at 34 Bellevue Avenue, Warwick, Rhode Island. Mary Catherine Hartnett was also known as Mary Catherine Hodnett. But Hartnett is definitely the preferred spelling, especially in the Irish documents.

Mary Catherine Hartnett married Patrick J. DORGAN on November 26, 1886 in the main parish church of St. Coleman’s, Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland.

“Mary Catherine Hartnett attended Saint Colmcille at Churchtown South. Here is a description of Churchtown South described in Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837

CHURCHTOWN, or BALLINTEMPLE, a parish, in the barony of IMOKILLY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S. E.) from Cloyne ; containing 1756 inhabitants.

This parish, called also Ballygourney, is situated on St. George’s channel, and comprises 4730 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act and valued at £2123. 19s. 8d., per annum. The greater part of the surface is hilly; the soil generally is light and shallow, resting wholly on a substratum of clay-slate, and the lands are principally under tillage. The village consists of 35 dwellings, most of which are small mud cabins roofed with thatch. Between this parish and that of Kilmahon is a detached portion of the parish of Ballyoughtra, called Snugborough, containing 92 acres, and more than two miles distant from the main body of that parish.

THE PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT COLMCILLE’S AT CHURCHTOWN SOUTH,

CLOYNE, COUNTY CORK, IRELAND

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, and is part of the union of Lisgoold, and the corps of the precentorship in the cathedral church of St. Colman, Cloyne. The tithes amount to £500. 5s. The old parish church has long been in ruins; but a district church for this parish and that of Ballycotton was erected in 1835, at an expense of £330., raised by subscription. The glebe comprise seven acres in two portions.

In the Roman Catholic divisions the parish forms part of the union of Cloyne ; the chapel is a small neat edifice.

The male and female parochial school for this parish and those of Kilmahon and Ballycotton is situated at Ballybraher, and is supported by subscription; and there are two pay schools.

There are two coast-guard stations, situated respectively at Ballyandrein and Ballycotton, within the Youghal district.”

The witnesses at the marriage of Patrick J. DORGAN and Mary Catherine Hartnett were John Harty and Ellen Hartnett. Ellen was the sister of Mary Catherine Hartnett. Edmond Harty, the father of John Harty, had a house, offices, and land (58 acres, 3 roods and 1 perch) next door to Denis Harty who had a house in Kilmacahill. This family is still represented today in Kilmacahill by Eddie Harty and his family. Eddie Harty is a direct descendant of John Harty.

The following records were kept at Saint Coleman’s, the Catholic Parish of Cloyne and also at the National Library in Dublin. However, the Bishop of Cloyne removed the parish registers from the National Library in Dublin becasue some genealogy agencies were profiting from their public availability. Now they are available at the National Library for individual consultation on application to the Bishop. The Diocesean Heritage center at Mallow has compiled a data-base for family history in all parishes of the Diocese of Cloyne, but the cost is 70 Euros per search, about $100. Here is the address and e-mail address of the Diocesan Heritage Center in Mallow: Diocesan Heritage Centre, 27-28 Bank Place, Mallow, County Cork, Ireland mallowc@eircom.net

1897 MARY DORGAN & FAMILY PASSENGER LIST

Baptisms
1791 – 1880
1791 – 1880

Marriages
1786 – 1880
1786 – 1880

Deaths
none

Mary Catherine Hartnett-Dorgan sailed with her five children from Cobh, County Cork to Ellis Island on June 9, 1897. She gave her address as Midleton, which is the Registration District nearest Market town. She was 28.

Mary Catherine Hartnett had relatives in Rhode Island, perhaps an uncle, an unknown brother of her father or a niece who arrived in America earlier.

In the RI Historical Society Library on Hope Street in Providence, there is a manuscript of a list of immigrants who decided to become citizens through classes in libraries, schools, etc for 1917-1918, the war years.

In 1917 RICHARD HARTNETT, age 48, living at 17 1/2 Peter Street, Providence, Rhode Island went to these “Citizenship” Classes”.

He was accompanied by PATRICK DORGAN, age 56 and his two sons, DAVID A. DORGAN, age 22 and MICHAEL J. DORGAN, age 28.

RICHARD HARTNETT is undoubtedly related to PATRICK DORGAN and his wife MARY CATHERINE HARTNETT. But how?

I believe that RICHARD HARTNETT was perhaps a cousin of Mary Catherine Hartnett.

Family lore also says that by the 1890s Mary Hartnett already had a sister, Elizabeth or a niece named CATHERINE HARTNETT who was the cousin and the maid of honor Anne Theresa Dorgan (see the above mentioned wedding photo!). Catherine lived in Rhode Island or Massachusetts in late 1890s and early 1900s. Patrick Dorgan stayed with these HARTNETT relatives when he emigrated in October 1896. His family followed the next year in June 1897.

Patrick Dorgan, lived with these (unknown) relatives in 1897-1899 until he could find work as a laborer and a place to live for his own family. They eventually resided at 296 Charles Street in Providence, RI.

I received this e-mail from Barbara Moriarty-Andrews on July 20, 2001 which describes one of her recollections of Mary Catherine Hartnett, her grandmother:

Hi Bill:

I received an updated Dorgan family tree from Pat Maguire. So many interesting things come out in researching our family tree. It is too bad that we do not talk to our older relatives about their past history and only find out after they have died about things that have happened to them.

My grandmother, Mary C. Hartnett Dorgan, used to swear that she watched the mermaids playing on the rocks in Ireland, and I believed her. She loved to have me comb and braid her long hair and roll it into a bun. Although she and I were very close, I never knew that she had had children who had died in infancy. She used to sit constantly with a rosary in her hands. At her wake, I swear that I could see her fingers moving on the beads of the rosary she held in her hands.

Mary Catherine (Hartnett) Dorgan died on November 23, 1950 at 930 PM at 34 Bellevue Avenue in the Spring Green section of Warwick, Rhode Island. She had lived there for ten years. She died of a coronary thrombosis caused by arteriosclerosis and a hypertensive heart disorder. She was 75 years, 10 months, and 24 days old. The informant of her death was her son, William Dorgan, who lived with her. She was buried on November 27, 1950 in St. Anne’s Cemetery, Cranston, Rhode Island, Section 7, Lot 1123 next to her husband, Patrick Dorgan, who died 13 years previously on December 9, 1937. The funeral director was J. F. Skeffington.

On October 26, 2005, her Great-Grandson, William J. Dorgan III ordered a headstone to be engraved and erected to the memory of these East County Cork, Ireland immigrant-pioneers to Rhode Island: Mary Catherine Hartnett and her husband Patrick J. Dorgan.